A good (if not perfect) summer for Indies, sequels, and big names.

As much as this sucks, Summer has to come to a close, and Fall has to begin. I don’t know if this helps, but I would like to share with you my favorite films I saw this summer from May to August. I’m gonna save the real juicy details for when I do my overall Best of the Year list in December.

10.) “The Green Knight”

David Lowery’s latest entry is quite absorbing and visually stunning, and the best sequence takes place during the last 20 minutes.

9.) “Luca”

I know it’s neither “Soul” nor “Inside Out,” but you have to admit Disney/Pixar’s latest is a delight filled with Italian nostalgia and colorful characters.

8.) “Free Guy”

Ryan Reynolds started the summer with a loser called “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” but finished with a winner like “Free Guy,” which has fun with the video game world.

7.) “CODA”

This high-spirited drama shows its utmost respect for the hard-of-hearing, and even if its characters can speak, subtitles are provided. And as I always say: “This world needs subtitles.”

6.) “Nine Days”

Winston Duke leads an all-star cast in this dazzling existential feature that takes place in what “Soul” refers to as “The Great Before.” So many ideas, so little time.

5.) “No Sudden Move”

Steven Soderbergh’s latest entry, released on HBO Max, has it all: crime, drama, big stars (Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Brenda Fraser, David Harbour, Matt Damon, etc.), and big words.

4.) “A Quiet Place: Part II”

As original and daring as the first movie, this continues the fight between whispering people and killer aliens. I hope they make a Part 3, and it’s another film on this list to show respect for deaf people.

3.) “In The Heights”

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical makes it on the big and small screens, but was major flop at the box office. That’s a shame, because this was one of the most colorful, dazzling, and free-spirited musicals I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

2.) “The Suicide Squad”

Now this is what I’m talking about! James Gunn taking over the director’s chair in this sequel to one of the crappiest superhero (antihero) movies in the past decade. R-rated, hilarious, and risk-taking, this was my favorite blockbuster of this summer.

1.) “Pig”

Nicolas Cage gives one of his most extraordinary performances in my favorite movie of the summer about a man who loves his pig, and is willing to step outside his comfort zone to find him. Heartbreaking, honest, and original, this artisan feature doesn’t settle for the most obvious approaches, and takes us into a different reality. And this pig apparently had an understudy.

The flicks I thought were crappy include “The Woman in the Window,” “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions,” “F9,” “Don’t Breathe 2,” and “Old.”

Now remember, my choices are subject to change, because I still have 4 months left to decide, who wins or loses.

Categories: List